Osteospermum plant named ‘Kleoe05116’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘KLEOE05116’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with pale pink-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEOE05116’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEOE05116’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Osteospermum cultivars with freely branching and uniformly mounded plant habit, early and freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Osteospermum originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in 2001 of an unnamed proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Osteospermum ecklonis as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany in April, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since May, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KLEOE05116 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEOE05116’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEOE05116’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with light pink to white-colored         ray florets.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Osteospermum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum are more compact and uniform         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum cultivar FP Ice, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar FP Ice in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were shorter than plants of         the cultivar FP Ice.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely branching         than plants of the cultivar FP Ice.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Osteospermum had more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar FP Ice.     -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar FP Ice         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar FP         Ice had blue white-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum. The photograph comprises a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘KLEOE05116’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 20° C. and night ranged from 10° C. to 15° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about six months old when the photograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar KLEOE05116. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Osteospermum             ecklonis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at 18° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About three to             four weeks at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About four to five             weeks at 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and compact plant habit.             Inflorescences positioned well above the foliar plane.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 44 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 76 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching,             about seven lateral branches per plant. Length: About 40 cm.             Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode length: About 1 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B             flushed with 178A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 8 cm. Width: About 3.4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Acute. Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower             surfaces: 144A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A;             venation, 144B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B;             venation, 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             obovate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright. Freely flowering habit; about 90             inflorescences develop over time per plant. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—In Germany, plants of the new             Osteospermum flower recurrently to continuously from spring             to autumn. Early flowering habit, plants begin flowering             about 10 to 16 weeks after planting. Inflorescences last             about five to ten days on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: 144A to 144B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle height: About 1 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Obovate. Length: About 3 cm. Width:             About 9 mm. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Orientation: Upright.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 23 in a             single whorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: 69D. When             opening, lower surface: 69D and 75B. Fully opened, upper             surface: 69D; towards the base, 84B. Fully opened, lower             surface: 69D and 84A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 8 mm. Diameter, apex: About 3 mm. Diameter,             base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 36 to 63. Color: Immature: 93C. Mature: Apex: 93C.             Mid-section: 93D. Base: 130D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15 to 23.             Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent, rough. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             146D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 14 cm to 15 cm. Diameter: About 2             mm to 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color: 146C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: 103A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 23A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil             length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:             Close to 143D. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close             to 83A.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Color:             200A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about −5° C. to about     35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘KLEOE05116’ as illustrated and described. 